Will we see the Logan Stankoven era begin next week with Evgenii Dadonov's injury?
By Brian Sweet
The Stars are cruising out of the All-Star break with a 2-1 record and have a two-point lead in the Central Division. Everything was good for Dallas until news broke today that might be a cause for concern. It was reported that Evgenii Dadonov fractured his leg on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. He will be out for some time, and the Stars will need to call up someone before the challenging road trip next week. Will we see the Stankoven Era begin next week? Here is the likelihood that will happen.
The Stankoven Era: What happened in Montreal?
I did not see how Dadonov fractured his leg against the Canadiens. It must have happened off-camera and left the ice before anyone noticed. It stinks to see Dadonov go down with a fractured leg. While he hasn't scored a lot this season, he's done so many other jobs on the ice. I would hate for him to permanently lose his spot in the lineup because of a fracture. His veteran presence could help the Stars if they make the playoffs this season. Stars' fans wish him nothing but the best for Dadonov in his recovery.
The Stankoven Era: Why would the Stars call up Stankoven?
The Stars should promote Stankoven due to the schedule starting next week. They are hitting the road and will have two back-to-back game situations in the next two weeks. Calling up Stankoven would give the Stars an extra man in case someone needs a breather during the gauntlet they are about to go up against. Stankoven currently leads the AHL in points this season and would deserve the promotion for all that he's done for the Texas Stars this year. Pairing him with Benn and Johnston should help him with nerves in his first game.
The Stankoven Era: Conclusion
While Dadonov's injury is less than ideal, Stankoven has shown in the AHL that he can fill in for him. Stankoven deserves a test run in the NHL to see how he handles the tougher competition. With his AHL stats he has now, it feels like he has outgrown the league. Fans have been waiting for the Stankoven Era to begin, and they might get their wish next week. It's time to see how bright the future of the Stars franchise is next week.